Former University of Georgia Bulldog Chris Kirk took his third PGA TOUR win Monday, Sept. 1, at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Mass.
To grab the win, Kirk had to outperform world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, who finished the championship tied for fifth. Kirk was paired with McIlroy on Sunday, matching him shot for shot and flourishing in the environment that accompanies the worlds’ top golfer.
This win, which came without any final-round bogeys and earned him the No.1 spot in the playoff standings, will allow Kirk to compete for the FedExCup Playoffs’ $10 million prize.
What makes his win even sweeter is that, before Monday, he was ranked No. 14 in the Ryder Cup standings – just five spots shy of qualifying automatically. Now, this win could help him secure one of three spots given out by U.S. captain Tom Watson on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
While it has yet to be determined whether or not Kirk will be heading to Scotland for the Ryder Cup, he will definitely be at Coca-Cola’s TOUR Championship in Atlanta to polish off the season.